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During the holiday season most companies hold food drives to help the less fortunate. It would be a great idea to encourage charitable events within your organization. Not only is it great for the charities but it also provides on-going events for the company. Some ideas: Fall coat drive Donating time in soup kitchens Donate time at a local animal shelter or children’s hospital Host a blood drive Host a bake sale Coordinate a military donation supply drive Adopt a local family in...

Be sure that all of your NYC hiring Managers understand that you cannot ask about compensation history with candidates effective 10/31/2017. Current salaries are no longer a part of the initial discussion for negotiation. Here are some best practices: Remove all questions regarding compensation from all online applicant tracking systems and applications. If you have locations in other states, use a different application or a general one that covers all states without compensation information. Educate your Hiring Managers about restrictive questions regarding the pay equity law Join some forums or organizations to discuss what other companies are offering and use benchmarking to stay competitive when recruiting. To view the Fact Sheet regarding the law, click...

The Paid Family Leave forms are now available online! You can find them here. Here are some tips on staying compliant: Decide on a payroll date Run reports to confirm all employees are eligible Update employee handbook policies for FMLA, add a NYS Paid Family Leave policy and procedures Update your company intranet and HR department with the claim forms Post signage explaining Paid Family Leave Speak with your HR team regarding tracking time Speak to your Managers about future staffing issues or cross utilization Send out information to your employees explaining Paid Family Leave, deductions, process, and eligibility prior to taking any deductions For more information on the PFL act, contact Audrey Villani, HR Consultant at Grassi & Co., at...

Many companies allow employees to dress up for Halloween, however an announcement should be sent out with a description of appropriate attire in the workplace. If costumes do not fit in your company culture, think of another fun way to join in on the Halloween fun. Halloween is a good time to raise morale in your company. Think of having a Halloween costume contest, allowing employees to decorate workstations, have a candy corn count contest, or provide trick or treating between departments to encourage communication. If you have an internal social media platform, start up conversations among employees. Discuss what your favorite fall activity is, encourage employees to post pictures of their children or pets in costume. You can also provide ideas on what to do with all the left over candy—such as donating to troops or making desserts. Start conversations about what their favorite holiday pastime is. It is important to encourage a friendly setting. Employees who have work relationships stay with companies longer. The environment can make or break an employee’s desire to go for the long haul or decide to jump ship. When I interview candidates, I always ask what their desired environment is. The first comment is always, “a great place to work”. Employees look for more than a paycheck from their employer. Company events also help advertise for new talent. I am sure we have all seen some videos or heard of an employee boasting about an upcoming company event. These boasts often lead to questions like, “Is your company hiring?” Be THAT...

Now that the weather is getting cooler, it would be a great time to quickly update or discuss your inclement weather policies. Keep in mind that safety should always be your primary concern. First, think of how you will inform your office of closures or delayed openings. There are many ways to inform your staff. Be sure to choose a method that benefits ALL employees. For example, not all employees have access to e-mail at home. A mass text message is a great inexpensive way to communicate especially in inclement weather. Using a phone tree (the game of employee telephone) is not the best way. You will almost guarantee that someone will not get the message. Be sure to update active employee listings. Second, inform employees if closures will be paid. Will the employees get compensated for the day? Are you complying with law? Employees will need to know if they will not be compensated. Do you allow work from home? Your handbook should state what the policy is. Know the law on exempt employees. Third, what if you keep the office open? When an office remains open, do you have a policy that states that the employee will be docked paid time off if they do not come in? Keep your payroll representatives up-to-date with these policies and procedures to ensure everyone in the organization is following the policy. If you have any questions on the laws or need ideas for implementing procedures, contact Audrey Villani, at...

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Grassi & Co. is an independent member firm of Moore Stephens North America, which is itself a regional member of Moore Stephens International Limited (MSIL). All the firms in MSIL are independent entities, owned and managed in each location. Their membership in, or association with, Moore Stephens International Limited should not be construed as constituting or implying any partnership between them.